Departments & Services

Clean Water

Stormwater Management

The Township has adopted the following ordinances that will keep the water in our streams
clean and healthy.

Ordinance 1751 - "Litter"

It shall be unlawful for any person to throw, drop, discard or otherwise place litter of any
nature upon any public or private property, other than in a litter receptacle, or having done so, to allow such litter to remain.

Ordinance 1752 - "Removal of Dog Feces"

All pet owners and keepers are required to immediately and properly dispose of their pet's
solid waste deposited on any property, public or private, not owned or possessed by that person.

Ordinance 1753 -"Feeding Wildlife"

No person shall, in any public park or on any other property owned or operated by the Township of Bernards, feed any wildlife, excluding confined wildlife (for example, wildlife confined in zoos, parks or rehabilitation centers, or unconfined wildlife at environmental education centers).

Ordinance 1754 - "Illicit Connections"

No person shall discharge or cause to be discharged through an illicit connection to the municipal storm sewer system operated by the Township of Bernards any domestic sewage, non-contact cooling water, process wastewater or other industrial waste (other than stormwater).

Ordinance 1755 - "Improper Disposal of Wastes"

The spilling, dumping or disposal of materials other than stormwater to the municipal storm sewer system operated by the Township of Bernards is prohibited. The spilling, dumping or disposal of materials other than stormwater in such a manner as to cause the discharge of pollutants to the municipal storm sewer system is also prohibited.

Ordinance 1756 - "Yard Waste Containerization and Collection Program"

No owner or occupant of any property, or any employee or contractor of such owner or occupant engaged to provide lawn care or landscaping services, shall sweep, rake, blow or otherwise place yard waste in the street unless the yard waste is containerized.. If yard waste that is not containerized is placed in the street, the party responsible for placement of yard waste shall remove the yard waste from the street or said party shall be deemed in violation of this section.

Ordinance 1810 - "Stormwater Management to include Best Management Practices"

It is the intent of this ordinance to require the design of developments to incorporate Stormwater Management and Stormwater best management practices.

The ordinance expands those applications subject to the NJDEP storm water rules and to Bernards Township design standards to now include projects in excess of 1,000 square feet or more of new impervious surface instead of only those in excess of one quarter acre or more, and it now includes projects that disturb in excess of 2,500 square feet of land instead of only those ultimately disturbing more than one or more acres of land. These standards shall apply to all projects, residential and non-residential.

Ordinance 2073 - "Fertilizer Restrictions"

This ordinance regulates the outdoor application of fertilizer so as to reduce the overall amount of excess nutrients entering waterways, thereby helping to protect and improve surface water quality.

Ordinance 2074 - "Private Storm Drain Inlet Retrofitting"

The Township's NJPDES General Permit issued by the NJDEP mandates that an ordinance be adopted that requires that storm drain inlets on"private" property, excluding a residential lot with one single family house, be retrofitting to prevent the discharge of solids and floatables (such as plastic bottles, cans, food wrappers and other litter) to the municipal separate storm sewer system. This requirement is triggered when the private property owner repaves or resurfaces the pavement that has a direct contact with a storm drain.

Ordinance 2075 - "Refuse Container/Dumpsters"

The Township's NJPDES General Permit issued by the NJDEP mandates that an ordinance be adopted that requires dumpsters and other refuse containers that are outdoors or exposed to stormwater to be covered at all times and prohibits the spilling, dumping, leaking, or otherwise discharge of liquids, semi-liquids or solids from the containers to the municipal separate storm sewer system operated by the Township of Bernards or other public body and/or the waters of the State.

Stormwater Management Plan

The Township has also prepared a Stormwater management Plan that was adopted by the Township and Somerset County.